Change of Use

[Two_Sheds]

I have an old folding clothes airer that I plan to hang my drying onions on ... maybe tied by their leaves, maybe pegged for that full-on, eccentric-lady look

[smallblueplanet]

Figs fruit heavily if their roots are tightly confined - you bury the drum and plant into it. It even has ready-made drainage holes!

Is this true though? How come figs planted out fruit then? Is it perhaps constrained growing conditions ie lack of nitrogen/nutrients leading to fruits rather than leaf growth?

Here's a quote from Dave'sGarden.com

Figs flourish on poor soil but it must be well drained and in full sun. Protection from winter wind will also benefit this plant. (It is often recommended to plant against a south-facing wall for its added warmth.) When planting you can add a bit of compost to the soil for additional humus but remember, as mentioned above, figs do better on poor soil so don't overdo it. (As an aside, figs grown on rich soil usually must have their roots confined to bear fruit. This can be accomplished by planting in a concrete box or the like and being sure to allow for drainage.)

[Shortie]

I use:

* Muller light yog pots for planting seeds into
* Sports drink bottles (spare ones as I usually refill what we do have) as a mini watering can for seedlings
* Yeo Valley large natural yoghurt pots as containers to freeze my garden rasps and back alley balckberries in
* Make my own compost
* Newspapers will soon be getting turned into seeding pots too

[spud57]

Car tyres - I am going to plant out my courgettes and then place a car tyre round each one - will keep down weeds, protect the young plants from the wind, and the black rubber should absorb heat during the day and keep the plants cosier at night !

In Barbados there used to be someone who did a lot of this in a big way - I have thought about it for spuds as I reckon you could layer them up like he did, as they grew... anyone have any thoughts on this?

[Paul Wagland]

Is this true though? How come figs planted out fruit then? Is it perhaps constrained growing conditions ie lack of nitrogen/nutrients leading to fruits rather than leaf growth?

I've always assumed this is the case, but am prepared to stand corrected. I guess it's quite a good evolutionary advantage - throwing your energy into seed production when vegetative growth comes to its limits. It works though, in my experience. Your soil quality point makes sense too.

Spud57 - it can be tricky to get hold of car tyres these days. The tyre shops are under the (mistaken) belief that they are not allowed to give the old ones to you. The fact is they are allowed to, but they should explain that the 'duty of care' (in terms of disposing of them safely) is now yours.

[smallblueplanet]

....It works though, in my experience. Your soil quality point makes sense too....

Yes, I was thinking that even if you 'contained' the fig but then gave it too much food supply you'd be partly defeating your original aim.

[areia]

just sawed up a load of pallets my mate keeps giving to me to make into a raised bed, just planning on useing the rest to make a 3 stepped raised herb bed ( if you can understand that ) butter containers i save for collecting seeds in, 2 litre bottles cut cross ways and with the bottoms off, looks like im growing them sometimes hehe

[areia]

[QUOTE=Paul Wagland;194386]I've always wanted to plant a fig tree in an old washing-machine drum.

oooooooooooo i did that with my spuds but i couldnt get the spinner off as it had rusted so i had a twirly one

[skegblade]

I use the little yoghurt drink bottles to cover the tops of canes and have an old single bed with the cloth replaced by fine mesh netting to keep birds etc from my brassicas.

Phil

[NOG]

If i can get it out the skip and in the trailer it goes up the Plot and a use is found for it.

[Snadger]

Is this true though? How come figs planted out fruit then? Is it perhaps constrained growing conditions ie lack of nitrogen/nutrients leading to fruits rather than leaf growth?

Here's a quote from Dave'sGarden.com

Maybe there is no dwarfing rootstock for a fig and the roots are confined, similar to Bonsai to minimise the size of the tree and force it to fruit?

Cape Gooseberry(Physalis Edulis) is similar and has to be grown hard to get it to fruit. Mine is planted in normal garden soil in a large container. No fertiliser is added but it needs copious amounts of water because of the amount and size of the leaves which wilt very quickly when soil dries out. If planted in good compost and fed regularily, the plant grows enormous but you get no fruit!

[kernowyon]

I use:

* Muller light yog pots for planting seeds into

i cut the bottoms off these and plant my chillis/peppers through them into the greenhouse border, they act like little collars so when i mulch with grass clippings etc the mulch is kept away from the stem, it also allows for targeted watering

[Novice Gardener]

I had some plastic coated wire shelves from an old fridge that I pinned to the wall to support my jasmine & sweet peas. I've got an old enamel colander that looks like its begging to have something planted in it - might try some strawberries this year

[MadamJoJo]

An old leaky fish tank propped up on one end makes a great cloche - works for me on the seed bed as I don't have to move it about too much.....and watch your dannies.

[minera]

carboard iners from loo rols to start corn, yoghurt pots, butter tubsets as seed trays,plastic bottles cut in half to make mini cloches, compost paper , card, veg peelings, tea bags, coffee grounds. pallets and old wood to make raised beds. old tights to hold melons and store onions. you name it and i'll recycle it